Saturday, December 29, 2007

Logo #139: A Certain Ratio

A Certain Ratio's logo was designed by Peter Saville and Tony Wilson in 1979 ($5 and a tip of the hat to Martin Moscrop for that). This image comes courtesy of the infinitely entertaining site maintained by the people behind the Better Badges (begun by staunch old hippie Joly MacFie) house of DIY design and commerce; many of the punk band pins which you or your grand-dad likely have on your jackets or in your jewelry cases right now. A Certain Ratio promise a new album in the coming year; it's almost been thirty years since their "All Night Party" 7" (Factory), which famously featured a photograph of the deceased, toilet-bound Lenny Bruce on its cover. "Forced Laugh" is a rather good track, as is "Do the Du." A Certain Ratio do urban paranoia like nobody's business; almost as well as most dub does, really. That they remain as "underrated" (and I'm sure there's a pound note thrown into a hat at ACR Central every time they read that word in the press) as they have for all this time is inversely proportionate to the sheer creative output they enjoy as they soldier ever-onwards.